Boot, especially for sport



Feb. 23, 1937. w. THORMANN BOOT, ESPECIALLY FOR SPORT Filed Nov. l, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J72 venior Wm fomw 5.

Feb. 23, 1937. w. THORMANN 2,071,593

' BOOT, ESPECIALLY FOR SPQRT 7 Filed Nov. 1, 1953 z sheets-sheep 2 J72 venior Patented Feb. 23, 1937 UNl'i'ED STATES PATENT @FFEQE Application November 1, 1933, Serial No. 696,15? In Germany November 9, 1932 1 Claim.

This invention relates particularly to sporting boots, chiefly for skiing.

The invention relates to a skiing boot having a leg portion or upper with an opening extending from the upper edge and a slot near the upper edge at a point remote from the opening and a lining with a corresponding opening and with a slot near one edge of the opening. An inner flap is formed by an extension of the edge of the leg portion on the side remote from the slot in the lining and terminates in a strap adapted to be threaded through the slot in the lining and passed out through the slot in the leg portion, so that by exerting a pull on this strap the flap presses the lining tightly against the foot. An outer flap extends from the other edge of the opening in the leg portion and is designed to overlap the inner flap and has on its outer side a buckle for securing the strap and thus maintains the inner flap and this outer flap in overlapping position.

In such a boot the inner flap begins in its full width at its junction with the upper, so that, tapering from this width up to the width of the strap, it is covered by the upper. It is thus possible, by means of the strap, to pull tight the closing or inner flap over its entire width and thus to offer the necessary guarantee for tightness in the case of a boot with a rear fastening. Therefore, the inner flap entirely closes the aperture.

If desired, to more tightly grip the joint in the ankle and to draw the boot still more tightly on the joint independently of the strap or fastening of the leg portion of the upper, a strap on the outer flap is passed over the instep independently of the inner flap strap. The outer flap can then be tightened to different degrees at two different points and the wearer of the boot can better adapt the same to his foot according to his requirements. At the same time a special stiiiening and rigidity of the boot can be obtained in that the counter is not arranged inside but outside. The foot is thereby very securely supported and held in the boot. Such a boot is further particularly suitable for attaching a legging which is rigidly connected to the upper neck of the boot on its entire circumference including the inner flap and the cover flap. Thus, the boot is absolutely tight and prevents the penetration of moisture because there is no exposed aperture with the exception of the longitudinal edge of the outer flap and of the legging. Both points are, however, well covered and both the outer flap of the boot and also the legging can be drawn tight by the buckling. The wide overlapping as in the boots with rear fastening may also be advantageously employed for boots with front fastenings if, according to a further feature of the invention, the pul -in point for the inner flap is provided at the root of the covering flap approximately on the instep of the foot and the inner flap in extension of the leg portion of the upper is covered in its entire superficial area up to its strap leading to to the rear seam, between the lining and the leg portion of the'upper.

Several embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows a right boot in outer side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a top plan viewof Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on a larger scale taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 shows a boot with a gore added to the upper in side elevation.

Fig. 5 shows the boot in entirely open condition with the fastening strap pulled out.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view seen from above of the open boot.

Fig. 7 shows a modified form of construction of a right boot in outer side elevation.

Fig. 8 is an inner side elevation of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 shows the outer side elevation of a boot with legging.

Fig. 10 is an outer side elevation of a right boot of modified construction.

Fig. 11 is an outer side elevation of a left boot of a further form of construction.

Fig. 12 is an inner side elevation of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 shows in perspective view the boot in open condition.

In Figs. 1 to 6 an upper or is cut in one piece and extends over the instep without any seam whatever. An opening formed by the two edges of the upper serves to facilitate the putting on of the boot. One edge of the gap is continued into a flap d which is drawn over the opening at the heel and over the other edge b to the outer side on which it can be buckled. The flap d may be sewn on to or out in one piece with the upper. The buckle e is fixed on the flap (1. The opening 5 begins at about half the height and extends upwardly to the whole of the height of the rear of the upper, so that when the boot is opened the foot can easily be slipped into and out of the same.

In order to prevent the penetration of moisture the flap d is preferably provided at its lower edge on its inner face with a packing strip 1, for example of waterproof felt or the like. The edge b continues as a flap 0 so that the two flaps c and 55 'downwards over the strap Z.

-' vided with rear closure.

' double under the buckles o.

d overlap on the back. A strap extending from the flap 0 passes through a guide channel It formed between the lining h and the upper a (Figs. 3, 5 and 6), and then outwards through a slot 1' in the upper and can be buckled. To save one buckle, the strap 0' is preferably drawn around the leg portion of the upper, threaded through a loop is on the front of the leg portion of the upper and attached to the outer flap d by means of the buckle 2. It is then possible to pull the neck of the upper as tightly as desired around the ankle. The inner ankle bone can be well gripped and supported by the flap c widening in downward direction like the flap d and the outer ankle bone by tightening the strap 0, so

that a reliable ankle bandage is obtained. The widening of the flaps c and d at the rear of the shoe and the large surface of the flap 0 underlapped by the lining h produce a reliable closure preventing the penetration of moisture. The flap c may also be provided with a packing strip like the strip 1.

The foot is slipped in and out through the rear opening of the boot, shown in Figs. 5 and 6. It is, however, not necessary to entirely pull out the strap 0 but is sufiicient to pull it back in the guide channel h between the upper a and lining 11 so that both flaps c and d become free and loose, strap 0 can then be pulled tight and buckled to the flap, after this flap has been wrapped around the rear portion of the upper.

Such a boot is closed right up to the top of the upper without any front lacing. Consequently no snow can collect on the instep and penetrate into the boot when skiing. The widening of the inner flap 0 tightly holds the foot together with the heel in the boot, so that the known wabbling and chafing of the heel is eliminated.

In the boot shown in Figs. '7 and 8 the outer flap d carries on its rear portion a second, lower buckle m for connection with a strap 1 which, coming for example from the inner side of the upper at Z" (as indicated in Fig. 8) is passed over the instep, or it may begin at the instep at I (Fig.

' i 7) at the front loop k for the strap 0 and, engaging over the ankle, is passed to the buckle m. The gore a for maintaining the shape of the upper is in this instance placed on the outer side. The loop is is sewn on to the upper and extends The top of the upper is preferably bound with a felt edge g which is provided with an elastic insert or a lacing to enable it to. be pulled tightly around the ankle.

The boot illustrated in Fig. 9 is likewise pro- The leg portion of the upper is extended to form a legging n, either formed when cutting the leather or made of waterproof material, which is tightly sewn to the leg portion of the upper. The legging 7L has lateral buckles o for closing. The closing flap n of the legging n conforms with the outer flap cl of the boot and forms an upper extension thereof. The inner flap n of the legging n is made to underlap so that the material of the legging lies The legging n can thus be drawn tight and prevents the penetration of snow and water from above.

A greater stability can be imparted to the boot at the rear by attaching the counter 13 on the outer side as shown in Fig. 10, instead of on the inner side as is customary. This figure shows the counter p on the outer side of a right boot. The shape of the counter p on the inner side of the boot is illustrated in Fig. 4. The counter p may be made of particularly thick and stiff leather,

and because it is on the outer side it cannot press against the heel of the wearer because the upper bears directly against the foot and not directly against the counter. The counter 1) has a cut out portion 21 (Fig. 10) for the passage of the outer flap d. In this construction a separate instep strap r is also provided.

The wide underlapping of the inner flap according to Figs. 1 to 8 may also be employed for front closures, examples of which are illustrated in Figs. 11 to 13. The fastening or outer flap (1, commencing from the instep, engages in the front over the inner flap 0 up to the top of the upper. At the point of transition between the flap d and the upper a wide slot 11. is left open between this flap d or the upper leather and the lining h, the width of this slot corresponds to the width of the inner flap 0 at its juncture with the upper between the points ;r:c. The inner flap 0 terminates in a strap 0 A slot i corresponding to the width of this strap is provided in the leg portion of the upper near the rear seam s.

In order to close the boot, the strap 0 with its inner flap c is threaded through the slot h between the leg portion of the upper and passes under the lining h and through the slot i in the upper. The strap 0 is then threaded through a loop 7. at the back of the leg portion of the upper and after passing along the outer side of the upper is buckled to the cover flap d at e. This cover flap (1' carries other buckles m, m" for straps Z 1 which, extending from the sole at the side of the boot, pulling the cover strap d tightly over the instep. The inner flap c is thus covered along its entire length between the leg portion of the upper and the lining.

The slot 2" may extend through the upper and lining. The pull point 7 can then be omitted or the lining h sewn tightly at the point h to the upper. The inner flap 0 is then passed around the foot along the inner side of the lining h and pulled outwardly by means of the strap 0 from the inner side through the slot i.

I claim:

A boot more particularly for sporting purposes, comprising in combination a leg portion having an opening extending downwards from the upper edge and a small slot near the upper edge at a point remote from said opening, a lining in said leg portion having a corresponding opening and a slot near one edge of the opening in said leg portion and corresponding to the length of said opening, said lining forming with said leg portion a passage leading to the slot in said leg portion, an inner flap extending from the other edge of the opening in said leg portion, said inner flap, of substantially triangular shape, commencing at a width corresponding to the length of the opening and tapering towards its free end, a strap forming an extension of the free end of said inner flap and made in one piece therewith adapted to be threaded through the slot in said lining and passed through the slot in said leg portion to pull said inner flap through the slot in said lining and between the lining and the leg portion along at least a quarter of the circumference of the leg portion, an outer flap extending from the other edge of said opening corresponding in width to the length of the opening and adapted to be folded over said inner flap, and a buckle on the outer side of said outer flap adapted to adjustably hold said strap and secure said inner and outer flaps in overlapping position.

WILHELM THORMANN. 

